Bearing and tightener for window sash



April 21, 1959 J. E. HAYNES 2,883,226

BEARING AND TIGHTENER FOR WINDOW SASH Filed Nov. 29, .1956

FIG. 5.

46 5 X5. F/G.6

I 24 X JOSEPH E. HAYNES 3 1 INVENTOR- 46- I i ZGE} l BY ATTORNEY United States Patent BEARING AND TIGHTENER FOR WINDOW SASH Joseph E. Haynes, Baltimore, Md.

Application November 29, 1956, Serial No. 625,143

3 Claims. (Cl. 292-76) 1953; this application is a continuation-in-part of United States Patent application Serial No. 376,621, now abandoned, filed August 26, 1953, for Bearing and. Tightener for Window Sash.

The conventional types of metal window frames and window and screen sashes now known to the art, have certain limitations in their design which render them more or less objectionable. In certain designs the window frame channels are lined with steel or metal inserts to prevent excessive scoring or galling in the window frame through the movements of the sash therein.

It is an object of this invention to eliminate this costly operation of applying the steel or metal inserts in the window frame to prevent excessive scoring or galling caused by the movement of the sash in the window frame.

it is conventional, as taught by the patent issued to Emil Broggelwirth, No. 479,324, to provide a friction pad to the outer surface of a spring by rivets- It is an additional object of this invention, .therefore, to provide a new and improved bearing and lubricator medium for attachment to expandable springs used in retractable window sashes.

It is an additional object of this inventiontto provide a new and improved bearing surface for metal windows, storm sash and screens which comprises. a plastic such as polyethylene or nylon having lubricating char.- acteristics to prevent excessive wear or galling of the window frame caused by the movement of the sash therein.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved semi-resilient material for use between the sash and window frame which will have natural lubricating characteristics to prevent the galling or scoring of the window frame and sash during the movement thereof.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a new and improved window tensioning device for attachment to a metal window sash capable of providing adequate lubrication and prevent scoring and rattling of the sash in the window frame.

And even another object of this invention is toprovide a bearing and tightener device for a window sash in which the device will provide three point contact of the bearing with the surfaces of thewindow frame that it engages, thus eliminating galling and scoring of the frame.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a new and improved lubricating material which will prevent scoring or galling of a window frame.

a polyethylene.

Referring now to Fig. l n g illustrated a window sash 1t); havingfa lowrand upper C iQQ These and other objects of this invention as well as the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts removed, of a window frame and a sash, illustrating the spring tensioning, bearing and tightener device comprising this invention in operative position in a channel;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the spring tensioning, hearing and tightener device comprising this invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of the spring tensioning, bearing and tightener device of Fig. 1 mounted to a window sash, said device being in an operative position in the channel;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the device similar to that shown in Fig. 3, with said device being in an inoperative position;

Fig 5 is an exploded View of the springtensioning, bearing and tightener device; and r Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken along line, i -60f Fig.

3 and looking inthe. direction of the arrows In accordance with the invention, a flexible tensio' outer surface of the spring, with the fbeari'ng being'of greater width than the spring so that xtheedges of the bearing as well as the upper surface thereof will provide three points of contact with the surfaces of the window frame that the bearing comes into engagement with.

The bearing consists of moldable synthetic resin having a low coeflicient of friction, including either nylon or of the. drawings, there is metal channel 14 (only thelower channl 14 is; shown) and side channels 16 (only one of which is shown) for receiving a pane of glass 12. Window sash 10 is positioned in a window frame consisting of a. base 20 and side frames 21 (only one of which is shown). Each side frame21 has at least one channel 22, with theparallel sides 23 of one of the grooves 60 of the channel for receiving the lower window sash 10 being shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The channel 22, however, can be formed with three grooves for receiving the upper window sash, the lower window sash 10, and a screen. i

The spring tensioning, bearing and tightener device 24, comprising this invention is shown mounted on a latch 18 which is disclosed in detail in US. Patent No. 2,672,- 362. Two of these latches 18 (with the spring tensioning, bearing and tightener device .24) areprovided for each window sash l0 and they are mountedjinthe vertical channel 16 at the top and bottom thereof, as shown in Fig. 1 only the bottom latch is shown. The devices 24are received in one of the grooves 60, shown in Fig. 6, provided in the channel 22.

Referring now to Figs. 2 to 4 of the drawing, the spring tensioning, bearing and tightener device 24 is shown in greater detail. This device; 24 consistsof a-self-lubrieating bearing block 40 which is attached to a leaf type spring 26. This bearing block is ofsubstantially uniform width throughout its length. The spring 26 is bent at its ends 32 and 34 so that these ends can be inserted-in slots 62 and 64 provided in the edge of the channel member 16.

This device includes a leaf type spring, of sun this application, are not preformed fasteners, but are applied in a coiled wire form using a special machine.

Clips 46, of this type, are more economical than preformed rivets, in production use. Small lugs 36, formed integrally with the spring 26, are utilized to hold the bearing block in an operative position, that is, prevent it from sliding lengthwise along the spring.

An arm or flange 30 with a circular end 28 having an opening therein and formed integral .with the leaf spring 26 is used for securing the center of the spring of the latch mechanism 18 when positioning the window sash in the ..window frame. It is to be noted, as best seen in Figs. 3

and 4, that when the device 24 in conjunction with the latch 18 is utilized for holding the window sash 10 in the window frame, the bearing block 40 takes the same general shape as the arcuate spring 26, as best seen in Fig. 3.

When the window sash 10 is to be removed from the window frame, the device 24 with the latch 18 is in the position shown in Fig. 4. The bearing block 40 follows the contour of the spring 26. This means that, due to the mounting of the bearing block 40 to the spring 26 by clips 46, the ends of the bearing block can slide. The overall result is that the bearing block 40 can be flexed any number of times without stress or fatigue failure. The result is that the spring will fail after limited use if it were adapted for use with a removable sash.

It is to be further noted that by making the bearing block 40 of greater width than the spring 26, three bearing surfaces are provided, namely the upper surface of the bearing block as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 together with the two sides or edges thereof for engagement with the parallel sides 23 of the channel groove 60, as shown in Fig. 6. Thus, by providing a bearing block 40 with three bearing surfaces or points of contact, scoring and galling of the metal frame 22 is eliminated.

Both polyethylene and nylon are suitable for use as the bearing element 40 for the reason that they have somewhat similar properties. Both are synthetic resins. Polyethylene is a thermoplastic resin produced by polymerizing ethylene under high pressure and elevated temperature. Nylon is the generic term for a series of polyamide resins made by the polymerization of a hexamethylenediamine salt of adipic acid.

Both types of substances are moldable. The stiffness of polyethylene is greater, however, and places it between the common rigid and non-rigid plastics which makes it highly suitable for the present purpose. Buffers of polyethylene offer a low eoefficient of friction and possess unusually long service life.

In actual operation, sash 10 is inserted into the window frame with the latches 18 in an unlocked position as shown in Fig. 4. The latches 18 are then latched, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The window sash 10 can then be'moved upwardly and downwardly in the groove 60 in the window frame without galling or scoring the frame, as previously mentioned.

While one form of the invention is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, it is not desired to limit this application for patent to this particular form as it is appreciated that other forms of bearings could be made that would use different clamping means to suit the construction encountered and use the same principles and come within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible tensioning, bearing device for use between a window frame and a relatively thin removable storm sash therefor, comprising, a leaf type spring of substantially elongated, arcuate shape and of uniform width throughout its intermediate length, said spring being of substantially the same width as said storm sash, a separate self-lubricating bearing mounted on the upper curved surface of said spring, said bearing consisting of a moldable synthetic resin having a low coefficient of friction, said bearing being of greater width than the intermediate length of said arcuate spring so that the edges of said hearing as well as the upper surface thereof provide three points of contact with the surfaces that said bearing come into engagement with between said frame and storm sash, said bearing having a pair of oppositely opposed, spaced notches at each end thereof and extending inwardly from its side edges, said spring having a pair of spaced portions extending outwardly from one side edge and in the same curved plane thereof, and a clip element positioned in each pair of oppositely opposed spaced notches of said bearing and extending past the edges of said spring and engaging the under surface thereof for securing said hearing to said spring, said bearing being prevented from slipping lengthwise along said spring by said clips being positioned between said extending portions of said spring.

2. An arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said spring is provided with means at the opposite ends thereof for securing said spring to the side edges of said storm sash.

3. A flexible tensioning, bearing device for use between a window frame and a relatively thin removable storm sash therefor, comprising, a leaf type spring of substantially elongated, arcuate shape and of uniform width throughout its intermediate length, said spring being of substantially the same width as said storm sash, a separate self-lubricating bearing mounted on the upper curved surface of said spring, said bearing consisting of a moldable synthetic resin having a low coefficient of friction, said bearing having at least one side extending outwardly from edge of said arcuate spring so that the edge of the outwardly extending portion of said hearing as well as the upper surface thereof provide at least two surfaces of contact with the surfaces that said bearing comes into engagement with between said frame and storm sash, said bearing having a pair of oppositely opposed, spaced notches at each end thereof and extending inwardly from its side edges, said spring having a pair of spaced portions extending outwardly from one side edge and in the same curved plane thereof, and means positioned in each pair of oppositely opposed spaced notches of said bearing and extending past the edges of said spring and engaging the undersurface thereof for securing said bearing to said spring, with said bearing being prevented from slipping lengthwise along said spring by said means being positionedbetween said extending portions of said spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 479,324 Broggelwirth July 19, 1892 2,246,092 Gilman June 17, 1941 2,606,091 Buchy et al Aug. 5, 1952 2,672,362 Haynes Mar. 16, 1954 2,731,287 Haynes Jan. 17, 1956 2,781,876 Van Fleet Feb. 19, 1957 

